Self-Organized, Rodlike, Micrometer-Scale Microstructure of Tb₃Sc₂Al₃O₁₂−TbScO₃:Pr Eutectic

The self-organized rodlike microstructure of terbium-scandium-aluminum garnet−terbium-scandium perovskite, Tb 3 Sc 2 Al 3 O 12 −TbScO 3, eutectic crystals has been studied. The growth of the eutectic by the micro-pulling down method is presented. The obtained self-organized dielectric microstructure is made of perovskite fibers embedded in a garnet phase matrix. The crystal quality of both phases is confirmed by the structural analysis. Both phases can be etched away, depending on the composition, leaving a pseudo-hexagonally packed dielectric array of pillars or an array of pseudo-hexagonally packed holes in dielectric material. Both structures can be filled with metal or another material and, hence, have possible metamaterials or photonic crystals applications.